


The Princess In The Tower

by Everyday_Im_Preaching



Category: Xiaolin Showdown (Cartoon)
Genre: Dragon!Chase, First Kiss, M/M, Nudity, Racial Tension, Racism, Violence, Witch!Jack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-08
Updated: 2018-11-08
Packaged: 2019-08-20 13:12:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16556414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Everyday_Im_Preaching/pseuds/Everyday_Im_Preaching
Summary: Jack lives a hard life, but he's happy to do so-- that is, until a dragon parks itself on his doorstep, intent not on eating Jack, but sharing the ruined castle tower that he lives in. After all, the one thing that dragons loved more than themselves were decrepit and burning buildings. Unable to say no, Jack does the opposite--he personally invites him to stay.





	The Princess In The Tower

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y'all! I have all this work backlogged, and thank goodness I did! I'm in a bit of a pickle that it makes it hard to get any new work done :( Thank you for all being so patient with me! <3 Please, if you enjoy and have the time, I'd love to hear from you in the comment section below!
> 
> Special thanks to the patron that made this fic happen!

 

It had been a busy day. The days were always busy now, the closer to winter it came. Jack would wake before the sun, just to get the day’s work done. There were traps to check and deer to hunt—meat to smoke and thick, heavy blankets to wash for the oncoming winter. And then, when evening came, Jack set to work on mixing elixirs and potions, as well as magicking small trinkets and pendants into cheap spells and wards. They would sell well enough at the autumn bazaar, at least well enough to buy him what he couldn’t forage or hunt for.

Every year was like this, though the townspeople were becoming less afraid of him with each one. If Jack was a normal witch, there would have been no hesitation to welcome him—but his late mother (Ruva guide her soul) had been forced to work as a prostitute. Jack didn’t know the reason for it, but he did know that most of her customers hadn’t been of the… human sort. In return, she died an early death and Jack—Jack had a visage more like that of a demon than a mortal. Vibrant red hair and eyes, skin as pale as bleached silk—not to mention the two, curling horns that sat neatly on either side of his head, pointed at the tip. He covered them in copper caps (more for his own safety than anyone else) that were heated and naturally patinated to a muddy purple.

It was long after the sun had gone down and Jack had crawled into bed, exhausted from the day. His blankets were still drying, but the fire in the fireplace kept the room warm enough—the bitter cold hadn’t set in just yet. He was moments away from sleep when he heard it.

A low shriek, like a blade on stone.

Jack shot out of bed, reaching for his wand; he snatched it off the nearby end table, shuddering as magic crackled up his arm and snapped across his chest. It was like being hit by lightning. He rolled down below the bed, just as the acrid smell of smoke reached his nose. Jack’s blood froze like ice, and he ducked below the edge of his bed.  _ Dragon.  _ His senses screamed. It had to be. They loved abandoned castles almost as much as they loved themselves.

_ “Come out, little prince.” _ The voice was unsettlingly warm and smooth, and Jack pressed himself further down into the floor. He couldn’t fight a dragon. The smell of smoke grew, and Jack knew it was right outside the window. He cursed himself for leaving the wood-slat windows open, though he knew that they’d be no use against a beast that could simply look through them.

Another, softer scraping.  _ “I have a proposition for you.” _

“I’m not interested,” Jack called back, voice still rough from sleep. “Didn’t you see the painted sign? No solicitors. Dragons included.” His tongue felt thick and heavy in his mouth, though his words were far more confident then his shaking limbs.

The dragon  _ laughed.  _ It rumbled like thunder and the ground shook with the force of it.  _ “I will not eat you,” _ they teased, amusement lining their voice.  _ “There is a village, nearby. If I was hungry, I surely would not seek out a lone prince, holed up in a tower like you are.” _

Jack was sure that was fair, on some level or another. He lifted his head slightly, peeking out from behind the deflated edge of his mattress. A single yellow eye was staring in past the threadbare curtains hanging over the windows.

“I’m not a prince,” Jack told him, rising slowly. He made sure that the dragon could see the wand tightly clutched in his hand. The dragon cocked their head, but only a little.

_ “Then what are you doing in a tower, little demon?” _ The dragon’s tone had changed, the warmth slipping from it.  _ “Locked away, perhaps, so as not to frighten the village folk?” _

Jack winced at the word  _ demon.  _ “No, they thought this place was cursed. So I made it my home.” He rounded his bed. “What are you doing here? Looking for a princess to guard from knights with ill-intentions?” Jack took a step forward—if the dragon wanted to kill him, they would. It wouldn’t matter if he hid.

_ “No,” _ the dragon replied simply. Jack could tell his interest had fled.  _ “What do you do, demon? Besides haunt this deadened place.” _

“I’m a witch,” Jack answered honestly. “I provide spells and elixirs for the village.” His fingers tightened around his wand. “In return no one chases me away, and I can study my magicks in peace.” He didn’t mention that he wasn’t allowed in the village for anything more than shopping. And even then, he was watched carefully. They may have been less afraid, but no less wary. It served them well.

The dragon was silent for a moment.  _ “My name is Chase. Chase Young,”  _ the dragon introduced. Jack furrowed his brow. Odd name for a dragon.  _ “What is your name, one of curled horns?” _

“Jack,” he replied. Chase’s demeanor had changed once again.

_ “I apologise for my rudeness.” _ The apology was fake, but Jack didn’t call him out.  _ “You are a witch—and this is your tower. May I stay?” _

Jack visibly recoiled. Dragons didn’t  _ ask.  _ For anything. He narrowed his eyes.

“As long as you don’t get in the way of my winter preparations, I don’t see why you shan’t,” he said slowly. “Far be it of me to deny you a place to rest, considering we are both shunned—you more than I.” He relaxed his stance. “I can’t tell your true size, with you so close to the window—but there’s a mead hall that’s rather large, or if you’re feeling particularly religious, a church. It’s bigger than the hall, but… it’s a church.” 

_ “Scared to step in one?” _

“No,” Jack replied, watching Chase’s eye pull away from window. Jack took a step forward, and then another, until he was at the edge. Chase was  _ enormous.  _ Easily as tall as his tower, with thick, corded muscle twisting over a powerful frame. Black scales glistened in the moonlight.

_ “I think I will camp here, until a storm comes,”  _ Chase replied coolly, large form settling awfully close to the tower’s entrance. Jack swallowed.  _ “Surely you’ve no problem with that?” _

“None that I can think of. Ah, goodnight,” Jack squeaked out. He leaned out the window and took hold of the wood slats, then drew them closed. He gave them a quick lock, and then tugged his curtains over them. It was only then that he allowed himself to truly panic. His heart beat thunderously in his chest in fear—there was a dragon outside. Right near where he smoked meat. Right next to the place where his garden grew, nearly out of control, but full of plants near ripe with vegetables and fruit that he intended to can. He couldn’t risk starving for a big beast who decided to camp on his doorstep. He would just have to trust him.

Jack fell asleep easy that night. The concoction of fear and exhaustion worked a kind of magic that no sorcerer or wizard could ever match. He slept so well, in fact, that he almost thought the whole experience had been a dream. He made himself a quick breakfast of bread and fruit, before stomping down the steps, dressed in the worst of his clothing—he needed to take a whack at the garden, whilst the meat smoked—then he’d gather the blankets and tuck them safely away in his room for ease of access, if it got too cold. If all went as planned, he could spend the day studying, armed with a cup of tea, his books, and a scroll or two.

All thoughts of a good day stopped when he stepped onto the cracked doorstep of his tower. Thousands of black scales met him, and he shuddered, trying not to scream. The lantern in his hand shook in fear.

_ “Good morning,” _ an unhappy voice gruffed. Then there were eyes and teeth in front of Jack, all too much for him to handle. The lantern light glinted off of Chase’s teeth.  _ “And to what do I owe the pleasure?” _

“Garden,” Jack squeaked. “I have to weed the garden.” He lifted the pair of used shears in his right hand. He looked back at the entryway to the tower, and then back at Chase. “I’ll have to move past you, if you don’t mind. Just a bit past your tail and to the left.”

Chase let out a displeased groan, and his tail swept out of the way. Jack nodded at him and scuttled down, away from the lumbering beast.  _ That’s an actual dragon,  _ he thought, setting his lantern down at the front of the garden gate. He hauled himself over, and then reached for his lantern.  _ A real dragon. Here. Not eating me yet. _

He stood and stared at the garden for a second, before nodding. He had work to do, dragon or no.

A few minutes into his task, Jack heard Chase moving. He didn’t realise to where until a somewhat curious head poked around the edge of the tower to watch him snip a particularly thick weed, and then tug away the roots with focused, now dirty hands. Jack turned his head up to look at Chase, waiting.

“Hello,” Jack greeted after a moment. He got to his feet and wandered over to the tower wall to pick up a set of baskets. One was for weeds, the other was for anything he found ripe enough to pick. The weeds would become mulch for next year. Chase didn’t respond, so Jack went back to what he was doing.

_ “You’ve a large garden,” _ Chase noted.

“I have to have enough food for winter,” Jack told him, setting the tomatoes in his basket. “The villagers don’t like sharing what they have, you see, after the snows fallen.” He couldn’t believe he was having a conversation. With a  _ dragon. _

Chase let out a huff, and smoke slipped between his teeth as he did.  _ “So they’d rather you starve?” _

“To them, I am a monster. Not a dangerous one, like yourself, but a monster all the same. An omen. They don’t care what happens to me, as long as it doesn’t impact their lives.” He jerked his head up, letting the copper on his horns flash in the light, much like Chase’s fangs. “I am inhuman, in their eyes. Kindness is not due to me.” He plucked another tomato, inspecting it for any damage. “I have to tell you, that the woods are scarce here, in the winters. You may not want to stay here, to hunt.”

_ “I will not hunt here,” _ Chase informed him, stretching his head further around the stone building.  _ “I will hunt in the waters. Land game might be scarce, but fish are plentiful.” _

Jack nodded. “What brings you here? The prospect of a princess? Or a prince, rather?”

_ “I am searching for something,” _ Chase answered. Jack found it odd how he was sort of… crawling forward, slowly showing the bigger parts of him. Curious, like a cat. Speaking of a cat, Chase’s ears flattened just like one as well.  _ “I have decided that it must be here. So here I shall stay, until it arrives.” _

“You might be waiting a long time, then,” Jack said. “No one approaches this old castle anymore. The villagers think it’s cursed. Or haunted. Something of that nature.” He pulled a particularly tough weed from the ground, nearly falling with it. “And I am not incredibly fond of guests.”

_ “And I am sure they aren’t fond of you,”  _ Chase replied without hesitation. He settled against the ground, snorting again. His eyes slid shut.  _ “Wake me when you return to your tower.” _

Jack cocked his head to the side. “Why?”

_ “If I am to be stuck at a tower, I might as well guard its occupant. That is how the story goes, hm?”  _ He laid his head on its side, tongue peeking out from behind his teeth to poke at his gums. Jack eyed him warily, but let out a soft grunt.

“Very well then,” Jack agreed. “I will wake you when I return to my tower.”

 

Time went by. Chase remained. Whatever he was looking for had not yet arrived, so he said. Instead he would stretch himself out around the tower, eye peeking into Jack’s room or whatever part of the tower he was occupying. The only time Chase didn’t follow was when he hunted, at Jack’s request. And Jack found it… charming.

Chase was good company. He knew many things of magic, and wouldn’t hesitate to argue the details of spells with Jack. He’d tell stories of long-forgotten battles, of times when the sky was torn asunder by godly lightning. Of one of a dozen floods that drowned the people of the earth, to help the planet start anew. They were all fascinating, though Jack doubted all of them were true.

And… Chase was kind. Not in the way that one would expect a human to be. But he would bring fish and other things to Jack, after an evening away. Almost everything was waterlogged, of course, since they came from the bottom of a lake. But there was no doubt they were gifts. In return, Jack offered him bits of magicked jewellery—none of it was incredibly fancy, but Chase took it all the same, letting Jack wind it around his horns and claws.

It was on one of these days that Chase encouraged Jack to climb into the space where his tail curled to his side. It hadn’t been verbal—he simply nudged at Jack’s leg, and then his back. Jack jumped, but easily recognised what Chase wanted him to do.

“Chase,” Jack addressed seriously. “What are you up to?”

_ “You intend to sit on the filthy ground and read. I’m offering an alternative,”  _ he answered, as if it were obvious.  _ “My scales are fairly clean, in comparison.”  _ He shifted, scales rippling.  _ “You can rest on one of my paws instead, if you wish.” _

“I could just go inside. I have a chair,” Jack argued, though he was already climbing up the side of Chase’s tail. It tilted slightly, causing him to slide face first into warm, hard muscle. He let out a squeak of protest, scrabbling for his book.

Chase settled against the ground easier.  _ “But then you would miss out on my company.” _

“There’s not much to miss. You’ve the personality of a wet cat,” Jack told him in a quiet mutter. Chase huffed and stretched his head around to nudge at Jack’s leg. “What?”

_ “I enjoy your company,” _ Chase told him.

Jack looked at him for a moment. “I… enjoy your company, too,” he told him. “Is something wrong?”

_ “No.” _ Chase turned his head forward once again. _ “I thought you ought to know. Wake me when you return to your tower.” _ His eyes closed and his tail shifted the smallest bit; the tapered tip wrapped coyly around Jack’s lower leg, and he smiled. At least, he was smiling until a large wing came down to cover him, and blocked the light he needed to read.

“Chase,” Jack gruffed, jabbing his elbow into Chase’s side. “Move your wing, you lard. I can’t see.” The wing shifted, just enough to let a beam of sunlight through. Jack snorted. “You ass.”

He swore he could hear Chase laugh.

Somewhere in his reading, Jack fell asleep. When he was awoke, it was between Chase’s paws—Chase’s mouth was dipped down, pressing against his chest and belly lightly. Jack blinked sleepily at him, not awake enough to be scared.

“Chase? What’re you doing?” he asked, slurring his words.

_ “Shush, little demon,”  _ Chase cooed, blowing a soft breath over Jack’s stomach.  _ “Go back to sleep.” _ A wet, hot tongue pressed forward to tickle Jack, and he realised his shirt was pressed up. He pressed a hand against Chase’s too-big snout.

“What are you doing?” Jack asked, voice stronger now.

Chase lifted his head, looking Jack in the eye.  _ “I am smelling you. Go back to sleep.”  _

“Why are you smelling me?” Jack didn’t try to wiggle away, he did try to tug his shirt down. “Get off.”

_ “I’m trying to figure out what breed of demon you are. The results are inconclusive.”  _ His snort moved upward and took a whiff of Jack’s hair.  _ “A part of you is human. Either that or you have a spell drowning out the demonic part of your heritage.”  _

Jack rolled his eyes. “I don’t know, and I don’t want to.” He pressed against Chase’s snout again, but the dragon didn’t seem to care. “A demon is a demon, isn’t it?” 

_ “Did you know your father?” _ Chase continued to ask, and the tongue returned—the saliva was hot and sticky, and Jack was not about it.

“No. Stop licking me.” He shoved at the tongue now, but again, it made no difference. “If you’re just seeing if I’d taste good, then just admit it.”

_ “I have no interest in eating you,”  _ Chase admonished. _ “Did he die when you were young?”  _

Jack tried to sit up, but was forced back down by a soft nudge from Chase. He crossed his arms over his chest. Chase made a noise at him, tongue pulled back, but only so it could lick across Jack’s face. Jack made a disgusted noise, wiping at leftover spit.

“That is so gross,” Jack croaked, trying not to get any in his mouth. “No, I don’t know, look—just because we’re… whatever we are, friends, I presume—that doesn’t mean you get to poke into my business.”

_ “I will give you an entire bath with my tongue, until you tell me,” _ Chase replied, pressing his nose against Jack’s shoulder. _ “How do I know you are not a hunter of my kind?” _

“Chase, I swear to—I don’t know my father, because my mum didn’t know my father,” Jack finally answered. “She was a whore. A well-meaning one, everyone has to survive. But a whore nonetheless.” Chase pulled his head back to look at Jack. He took the opportunity to scurry away, knowing that Chase would catch him if he wanted.

_ “You are a bastard child?” _ Chase asked, as if he didn’t just ask an inappropriate question. _ “And your mother is dead, yes?”  _

Jack shook his head. “Yes, for the love of Ruva,  _ yes.  _ Dead and unknown. Why do you care?” He asked, pressing his palm to his forehead. “I’m going inside. And shutting the windows.”

Chase didn't argue with him, but did shift back to the worn patch of soil in front of the tower. He stretched out like a content cat, basking in the quickly setting sun.

_ “Jack,”  _ he called suddenly.  _ “That market of yours. The one coming up.” _

“I’m not listening,” Jack responded, heading toward the door.

Chase huffed and stretched out further.  _ “I will be watching carefully. To assure no one harasses you.”  _ He tilted his head back, and it pressed against the side of the tower.  _ “I wish you no harm.” _

Jack rolled his eyes. “Yes, because they’re not going to notice a giant dragon hovering around, and not think you’re there to eat people.” He threw his hands in the air and opened the door. “Sleep well,” he grunted, before walking inside and slamming the door behind him. A soft laugh followed him as he marched back up the stairs, shaking his head. Disgusting,  _ filthy  _ dragon. He shouldn’t have expected anything less from him, to be honest.

Though… it was kind of him to offer protection, if he meant it. Jack tucked a piece of hair behind his ear, and his steps slowed. Chase was kind. Even if he was unbearably nosy. The steps beneath him were awfully loud, and he reached down to take off his old, worn boots. They slid off easily, and he made a mental note to spend the next week or so sewing a new pair. He had plenty of tanned leather stowed away.

“What is it like, to befriend a dragon?” Jack asked as he clutched his boots in his hands. Chase, despite his faults, was a friend. The only one Jack had, incidentally. He ran his tongue along the inside of his teeth, and he listened as Chase took a deep breath on the outside of the tower. He was settling down for watch, no doubt. He rarely slept, at least, not when Jack was paying attention. Jack was sure he slept sometime.

Jack slipped into his bedroom, parting the dark curtain that separated it from the stairwell. Bed came next, and he was halfway out of his shirt when the window slats were pulled open. Jack squeaked as a curious eye peeked in.

_ “You didn’t lock them,”  _ Chase pointed out. _ “Come here.”  _

“They were shut for a reason. Should I lock them next time?” Jack was miffed by the intrusion, though not surprised. “What do you want?”

_ “Come here,”  _ Chase ordered, voice like gravel, but in a way that had fire racing up Jack’s spine. He dropped his filthy shirt in a basket at the end of the bed and marched over to the window. Chase slipped out of the way of the window as the first shreds of moonlight filtered in, hitting Jack’s skin and getting it to glow, albeit only a little.

Jack crossed his arms over his chest and waited. After a minute or so, he’d had enough of it, and moved to stick his head out, staring at Chase. He was standing a bit away from the tower, squinting the best a dragon could.

“What are you doing?” Jack asked with a huff.

_ “Looking. I think I have found what I seek,”  _ Chase rumbled teasingly. _ “That market is next week. What do you plan to wear?”  _ He looked about ready to start pacing. Jack leaned out the window with a single brow raised in question.

“What I normally wear,” he called back. Jack cupped his chin in his hand, watching as Chase twisted his head around to chew at his shoulder. No doubt itchy from all the dust. He’d be going for a hunt soon. “Breeches. Tunic. Shoes. It’s a bazaar, not a fashion show.”  _ Not that I’ve anything fancy,  _ Jack mused. A chilled breeze worked over him seconds later, and he shuddered. His  _ shirt.  _ He needed to put a shirt on before he caught his death.

Chase let out a huff as Jack left the window. He kicked his pants off and then drew on a thick robe—he’d toss on everything else once he appeased the giant lizard hanging out in his front yard.

The next week passed in a blur—Jack had to make sure his wagon was prepared for the trip. Elee, his mule, seemed to know what time of year it was—she trotted up to the gate when he came to feed her in the mornings, and he thanked her for it with bits of wild carrot he found. Chase had taken to sulking, loafing just at the edge of Jack’s vision from the highest tower window. He looked rather menacing, shoulders high and tail swinging behind him in a wide arc.

The morning before he had to leave, Chase was back to the tower. Jack watched in horror as a dead body was tossed at his feet—it wasn’t bloody, to his surprise. Though its neck was turned at an awkward, unnatural angle.

“Chase?”

_ “Better clothes,” _ Chase chuffed almost proudly.  _ “For the bazaar. If you look nicer, you might sell more.”  _ He rolled the body over with a paw. _ “They need to be washed, but I made sure they were in an acceptable state.” _

“Did you kill a guy, just so I could wear something nice to the bazaar tomorrow?” Jack asked, voice small and shaking. Chase cocked his head to the side, looking between Jack and the dead body. He then nodded. “Okay. Uh, thank you.”

_ “I also intend to eat him,” _ Chase clarified. _ “But I made sure he was wearing something attractive and in your size. You should appreciate the effort. It is hard to kill such small game with the delicacy I’ve proven here.” _

Jack nodded, eyes glued to the body. “Uh, thank you, Chase. Really. It was very kind of you to get me something fancier to wear for the bazaar.” He knelt down, turning the man’s head to that it was at a more natural angle. It wasn’t the first time seeing a body, but it did remind him that Chase was no stranger to killing. He swallowed, and then set his jaw. “Let’s get these off of him. You no doubt want to get to your meal, and I need to get these in the wash.”

Chase rose on his haunches like a dog who’d been praised.  _ “You’re very welcome.” _

Instead of sleeping, Jack spent the night thinking. Pondering. Wondering what he’d gotten himself into. Dragons didn’t ask permission, and they certainly didn’t bring gifts. He knew he should have been sleeping, but the mystery was far bigger than himself and his desire to sleep after a long day’s work. It boggled his mind that a dragon would bring him a gift, even if there was a corpse attached to it. It was ludicrous.

As a result to his sleepless night, Jack woke at the dawn with all his nerves on edge—he was exhausted and tea made no difference. He’d have to work hard through the day to keep himself awake and busy. Jack had done more on less, he could certainly handle it. He went through the motions of hooking up his cart and double-checking the supplies to make sure they were stored correctly—all under the careful eye of Chase. He could tell Chase was pleased that he was dressed in the clothes from the day prior.

_ “You like them? _ ” Chase asked.

“Well enough. Clothes are clothes,” Jack told him, loading a box into the back of his wagon. “Don’t eat anyone while I’m gone. And leave my tower alone,” he warned as he turned back toward Chase. He jumped when he realised Chase was so…  _ close.  _ His too-big snout shoved against Jack’s chest, and Jack slowly wrapped what he could reach in a hug, even if Chase’s breath smelled.

_ “Return soon,” _ Chase murmured, tongue flickering out, just far enough to tickle Jack’s jaw.

“Don’t worry, they run me out of town before dusk.” Jack pet at his scales, and then took a step back. “Besides, you’re just two flaps away if anything happens, hm? You promised to watch over me after all.” Chase nodded his large head, eye flicking over Jack. “I’ll see you this evening, Chase.”

Jack should’ve known there’d be trouble. He’d gone too long, unmolested.

“What the hell is this?” Jack didn’t need to see who was behind the voice to know it was one of Her Knights, with a capital ‘H’ and a capital ‘K’. A special group of violent, bloodthirsty madmen who were under strict orders to slaughter, or at the very least, expel anyone who wasn’t human from ‘civilised’ towns and villages. 

“Just some trinkets, sire,” Jack replied, pretending that he didn’t know what the man was talking about. “Good for wives and daughters, good for adventurers. Anything catch your eye?” He sat up in his chair to smile at the man, as if he were a customer. Several of the merchants around him were watching on warily. They knew what was about to happen. They all did.

A hand shot through the soft furs covering the front of his stall and grabbed at his right horn—it yanked Jack forward, over the table, and sent him toward the dusty ground with a loud thud. His breath left him with the impact and his chest ached with the pain that came with it.

Jack gasped and tried to get to his hands and knees—a boot came down, hard on his back, flattening him once again.

“A demon? What spell have you woven on these people, that they let you so boldly sell in their marketplace?” The Knight asked, as if he had any real reason to be a racist bully. He didn’t wait for an answer before reaching down and giving a sharp yank on Jack’s horn again—it hurt this time, an aching, sharp pain that travelled down the back of his skull and lingered at the top of his spine.

Jack didn’t expect anyone to step in, but it still made his chest squeeze when he realised no one was going to. He gritted his teeth. “I wove no spell. I’m just here to make a living,” he replied in a light wheeze. Maybe he shouldn’t have teased Chase about hanging around. He could use a dragon.

“No demon ever lingers just to make a living,” The Knight sneered, giving another sharp yank. Jack whimpered in pain and squeezed his eyes shut—with his luck, they’d pull off his horn completely—his head thudded back against the ground, and then was twisted so his cheek was pressed into the mud. It was then that Jack realised that it  _ was  _ mud. Slightly sticky and warm—blood, no doubt. “Let’s teach this little fool a lesson, hm?”

The boot on his back went up, only to come down against his horn with a painful grinding sound. It didn’t crack or snap, thank Ruva, but one of the metal caps fell off and into the dirt. Jack let out a pained wail and scrabbled at the dirt, trying to get away—get away where, he didn’t know. But anywhere was better than here.

“Your horns are tougher than I thought. Might have to give them a few more—”

He was interrupted by a large, thunderous noise. It could’ve been a roar. Could’ve been a storm. Jack didn’t care. He was on his feet and running, head still ringing in pain as he raced toward the edge of town. The world was swimming and he could see armour dancing in and out of his vision, but he didn’t have the time to slow down. He had to run. Had to get out before—before—

_ “Jack.” _ The low, familiar voice rolled over the shrieks of terror, and Jack froze in his tracks. _ “This is why I worried.” _ He slowly turned to see Chase, half of a body still tucked in-betwixt large white fangs. 

“Chase? How? Where?” Jack rose a hand and gingerly touched his horn. He winced as he head throbbed with his simple touch, and the world spun. “Hurts.”

_ “I was watching. I am always watching. Looking. Searching.” _ The ground shook as he stepped forward, not bothering to watch for civilians.

Jack blinked up at him as he got closer. “Are you going to eat me?” he asked dumbly, unable to fully process what was going on. It was like he’d taken a blow to the head—he had, that made sense.

_ “You are not safe here,” _ Chase admonished. _ “I am taking you home.” _

Jack didn’t remember a good portion of the trip. He didn’t sleep, but it was still a blur. It was nearly dark when they returned to the tower, and he was nudged toward the entrance. Jack braced himself against the doorway—it wasn’t just his head that hurt now. It was everything else. It felt like his entire body was bruised, most likely from being thrown over his own stall.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do for winter,” Jack muttered out loud, not yet taking the stairs. He licked at his lips and tasted metal. He couldn’t tell if it was from a bloody lip or a broken nose, but he didn’t want to find out. “I don’t have anything I need.”

_ “You need rest.” _

“Easy for you to say, you’re a dragon. I’ll starve if I don’t get enough tucked away. I don’t have enough furs for hunting in the snow.” He pressed his forehead against the cold stone of the entryway. A curious nose poked at his back, and Jack looked up at Chase with a frown. “Thank you. For saving me.”

Chase let out a soft breath, nudging at Jack’s aching body again. _ “Sleep.” _

Jack instead launched himself at Chase, wrapping up his huge snout in as big a hug as he was able.

“Thank you, really,” Jack repeated. “I… I wouldn’t have survived, without you. They would’ve tortured and killed me.” He pressed his forehead between Chase’s nostrils. “Thank you. I know that probably doesn’t mean a lot—”

Jack stopped. Not because he was interrupted, but because Chase’s skin was growing hot. Hotter than he was used to. He took a fumbling step back, squinting in the fading light as a ripple of what looked like sunlight slipped over Chase’s scales. It spun down his legs and tail, wove its way across his cheeks—it didn’t take long for Jack to realise he was seeing a powerful spell being dismantled. He quickly used what little magic he could muster to cast a spell for light, letting it wash the area in a gentle, soothing arc.

“Chase?” Jack asked, voice broken—it felt like hours, but in reality, it was simple seconds before he spoke. Where a dragon had been, now knelt a man. Naked and beautiful, hair thick and dark as coal. “Chase?” Jack called again, leaning heavily against the entry way.

The man assumed to be Chase snapped his head up to look at Jack—and then he was closing the space between them. Jack covered his eyes as he got an eyeful of cock, but his hands were soon pulled away.

“Jack,” Chase rumbled in that familiar, soothing voice. “Little demon, you’ve done it.” He pinned Jack’s hands to the door by his wrists.

“Done it? Done what?” Jack asked, knowing full well what he meant. Jack had broken the curse. “Whatever it was, it wasn’t on purpose. I can barely stand, let alone cast magic.” Chest heaving, Chase continued to look down at Jack, unable to say what he was thinking. “You were cursed. You couldn’t speak of it, so you sought out a princess, thinking that her magic could break your curse.”

Chase nodded. “And instead I found a witch, and he served me just as well.” He let Jack’s wrists drop, only to scoop him into a pair of thick, strong arms. Jack let out a pained gasp, that was quieted with lips dwarfed his. The pained gasp turned into one of surprise, and when Chase pulled away, he left a flushed Jack in his wake. Chase tasted like  _ blood. _

“I owe you a great debt, little demon,” Chase purred out, voice thicker and sweeter than honey. “I will repay it tenfold.” Those lips were close to Jack’s again, and he couldn’t help wanting to kiss them. Instead he ducked his head, trying not to bury it too deep in Chase’s chest. Was that rude? Chase was very, _ very  _ naked after all.

“We need to find you something to wear,” Jack muttered, voice muffled. “You’re as naked as the day you were born, and half as bloody.” He closed his eyes. Ruva, he was tired. “You know where the bath is?”

“I know where the bath is,” Chase affirmed. “I will find clothing, if it speaks to your modesty. It’s not as if you cared much that I was naked before.”

Jack snorted. “You were a dragon. And your cock wasn’t out on display.” He sighed, relaxing further as Chase’s body heat radiated around him. He didn’t know why he trusted this man so much—men were a far bigger threat than a dragon could ever be. But still he didn’t try to move or escape, even as Chase began the long walk to his bedroom. “We need to talk.”

“We will,” Chase assured. “There is many a story to tell. But for now, you must rest.” If Jack were in less pain, he'd have challenged him.  Instead, he just let out an exhausted sigh. “There will be plenty of time for it. Later.”

It was going to get cold soon—but judging by how close Chase held him, Jack didn’t think he needed to worry about staying warm.

**Author's Note:**

> Well hello there! I can't even begin to tell you how tired I am, aha. 
> 
> Song(s) for this chapter:  
> Black Widow by In This Moment
> 
> Want to stay updated? Want to chat or shoot me a prompt? Have an idea that you'd like me to consider for this pairing? Feel free to click [here](http://everyday-im-preaching.tumblr.com/) to do all these things and more!


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